Stormy friendships, love and battles: Torn
by hojerry
Summary: Percy likes his life.V ery at is, until Grover suffers from a fatal illness. It's not just Grover's life at risk-Percy finds out that the Mist has been torn, and just so, that the thing that cures it is also the thing that cures Grover.
1. Clarisse tries to kill me

**Clarisse tries to kill me **

You know those times when, say, you can't see the problem until it hits you right in the face? Well, it's a bit like dodge ball. The rules: dodge the ball or die. In this case, I died. Well, actually, I just got my face permanently squashed by the ball. But no biggie, right? Remember that time when I kicked Clarisse's dad's butt- or rather ankle? Well, she still wanted to get even for it. When the idea of revenge gets into her head, it's impossible to shove out of her mind. It runs in the family I guess. The family of Ares losers.

I was at camp-half blood, making intelligent conversation with (okay, it wasn't _that _intelligent) Annabeth, when Clarisse and a couple of her ugly pug-faced (and I _mean_ pug-faced) friends showed up in front of us. "Oy, punk!" Both Annabeth and I turned around.

"Step aside, girl. This business is between me and the runt." Clarisse growled. Her insults weren't half as good as Annabeth's.

When Annabeth didn't budge, Clarisse grunted, picked her up and slung her over her shoulder. "You go back to that Nerd Farm you grew up in." Clarisse snarled, and chucked her on the ground. Annabeth stood up, outraged, thinking that Clarisse had meant her father's house, and lunged at her.

If it weren't for Chiron, things would have been a mess. Though personally, I would have enjoyed watching Clarisse break a limb or two.

"You come with me, punk." Clarisse held onto my arm with a steel grip, and pulled me towards the bathroom.

"Haven't you learnt a lesson with water, already?" I smirked. "I'm not _going_ to the bathroom, you dimwit!" she snapped. She pulled me toward the gym. "What?" I muttered. She turned toward me and grinned evilly. "Now we play some dodge ball. Ares cabin versus Barnacle Beard cabin." I tried not to take great offence to that, when I realised something. "But there's only one person in my cabin!" I protested. Tyson didn't really count, seeing as he was away most of the time, and he wasn't here this Summer.

"Tough luck." She spat at me. When I glared at her with a look of protest, she sighed, "Fine. Pick another cabin for us to beat up as well on your team." She snorted, looking at me in disgust. Well, at least I thought it was disgust. It could have just been how her face naturally looked.

I scrolled through all the cabins. Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Demeter, Athena, Zeus, Apollo. There were plenty more, but I didn't have time to think them through.

"Time's up, punk! Let's start!" Clarisse shouted. Everyone picked up a ball. "Wait!" I protested. Clarisse hesitated. "I choose Athena cabin." I grumbled. "Knew you would, Percy!" someone said next to me. Annabeth suddenly appeared, taking off her Yankees cap. "Do you have to do that?" I complained. "Do you want my help or not?" she demanded. I sighed.

"Come on!" she shouted to someone behind her. Suddenly, a stream of grey-eyed kids burst through the door.

With the number of kids from the Athena cabin, the Ares cabin were outnumbered 2:1. "Since when does the Athena cabin have so many people?" someone from the Ares cabin complained. "Silence! We can still beat the runts." Clarisse growled.

There was a long silence, followed by a stare-off. Then Clarisse interrupted the silence. "Cream the punks!" She shrieked. Everyone suddenly started screaming and launching balls at each other. Annabeth put her Yankees cap back on and launched a ball at an Ares kid. "Ahhh! No fair!" The Ares kid shrieked. "Who said anything about fair?" Annabeth probably stuck her tongue out, but we couldn't see because of the cap. "Then I won't play fair!" Clarisse grinned, and threw a fart arrow at our feet. "Scatter!" I heard someone yell. We all ran for our lives. The fart arrow exploded, and we all coughed, as a huge green mist enveloped us. Suddenly, I felt a ball hit me on the head. It was thrown with such force and precision, that I immediately knew who had thrown it. "Annabeth! Wrong person!" I yelled. "Sorry! It's just I can't see through all this darn mist!" I heard her voice yell back apologetically. Then I felt someone tug at my hair. I immediately took out Anaklusmos and pointed the hair-tugger in the throat. "Clarisse!" I scowled, as I saw a flash of Clarisse's devilish grin. Then I recapped Anaklusmos and grabbed at a ball that had landed at my feet.

"Time to taste dodge ball." I grinned, and swung it at Clarisse.

She cursed in surprise, and flew all the way to the other side of the room, because of the immense force of the ball when I threw it at such an angle. Man, I'm beginning to turn into Annabeth.

"You little punk!" I heard Clarisse shriek at the other side of the gym. She recovered quickly and lunged at me. She picked up a ball and aimed one killer of a shot at me. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. The ball swung out of her hands slowly, and I yelled in slow motion, trying to dive to one side. Then time decided to be mean to me, catching me off guard by going back to normal speed. The ball flew at lightning speed, and smacked straight into my face. I was almost sure that she had knocked out all my teeth. Suddenly, I got a whiff of grapes.

"Ahh, a game of dodgeball. How enlightening." I heard someone say. I turned around. It was Mr D. "Peter Johnson. What are you doing here?" he asked cheerfully. "Dodge…ball…" I wheezed, not even bothering to correct him. "Everybody! I hate to be a party pooper, but you've all got to get to the silly campfire. Direct orders from the doddery old horse himself." He said breezily. "Not until I get my revenge!" growled Clarisse.

"Yeah, blah blah blah. I'm late for my game of pinochle I promised Argus. Now get out of the gym before I turn you all into cockroaches." Mr D sniffed.

"Go on!" he demanded, when we all just stood there.

We all gave each other deluxe death stares before forwarding out to the campfire. "It's way too early for the campfire." Annabeth materialized next to me. "It's only noon." She complained, staring at her watch.

"Maybe early preparations?" I guessed. She gave me a death stare. "This early?" she raised her eyebrow. "I would normally be at sword training at this time." She rolled her eyes. We both sighed. We both headed toward the campfire, which was extremely crowded with people with worried looks on their faces. "What's going on?" I asked. "It's Grover!" Silena Beaureguard yelped, pointing at something green and furry at her feet. Wait, why was Grover green? I peered down. "Ahh, Percy. I was wondering when you'd come. Grover has developed uh…a kind of…illness." Chiron laid his hand on my shoulder. "Like chicken pox or something?" I asked, concerned. "Um…a bit more…serious than that. I'm afraid it's…fatal." He whispered the last word, as if he were afraid I might break down, or something. Chiron's eyes kept darting towards Juniper, who was sitting next to Grover, dabbing at her eyes with a lace hanky. Then I realised. Juniper didn't know yet.


	2. I go out on a dangerous quest to nowhere

**Hey everyone! This is the second chapter! Hope you like it, guys. Remember to review!**

**If you do, you are seriously awesome! Okay, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><span>I go out on a dangerous quest to nowhere<span>

For the next couple of days, I felt pretty miserable. Grover was dangerously sick, and whenever I tried to ask Chiron for the cure, he wouldn't tell me. Or at least whenever he _tried_ to tell me, there would be a boom of thunder, and he would get tense. I decided I would venture on my own. And as usual, it was a stupid thing for me to do. Just as I was about to leave, I felt the air shimmer next to me.

"Annabeth." I said, turning around to look at her.

She looked back disapprovingly.

"Got a plan, Seaweed Brain?" she asked, wiping some dirt off her hat.

"How did you know I was leaving?" I asked, embarrassed.

"Oh, please, Seaweed Brain. I know you too well." she smirked.

I blushed a deep red.

"So…do you know what the cure is?" she asked expectantly. "Actually…uh…" I said sheepishly. "So you're going on a dangerous quest, and you don't know where you're going, you don't know what you're looking for, and you may never come back." Annabeth ticked off. "Check." I mumbled. She looked at me with a smirk.

"Fine. What do you suggest?" I snapped.

"Ask the Oracle." She said matter-of-factly. Okay, I did _not _think of that one.

"Let's go then." I grumbled. "Wait. We have to ask Chiron first." Annabeth said.

Sometimes I think she is _way_ too much of a goody two-shoes.

"We can't tell him! Then we won't be able to go!" I practically yelled. To my surprise, Annabeth just nodded. "Fine." She snapped.

"Ooooh. I just showed up the wise girl myself!" I cackled. Annabeth punched me in the gut, which shut me up immediately. I had underestimated her toughness.

We both climbed up to the creaky attic, and coughed as a cloud of dust and smoke engulfed us. "Go on." I whispered weakly to Annabeth.

"No, _you _do it." She muttered back.

"Fine." I swallowed, and edged toward the mummy. "Uh…um…What is my destiny in curing Grover?" I asked. She just sat there, looking out the window, as if she were ignoring me just for the fun of it. Then Annabeth pushed me out of the way, and marched toward the Oracle of Delphi.

"What is our destiny in curing Grover?" she said in a strong, demanding voice- almost irritated. Then, green smoke swirled out of the mummy's mouth. Gee, how come it didn't respond when _I_ asked it? Hmmm?

Anyway, the mummy started talking in a raspy voice:

One brave heart shall save us all,

From destruction rising very tall.

He will go west to find the diamond of stone,

And she will make sure that the tear is sewn.

If they don't by the deadline which is giving,

Enough time for them to make it out still living,

They will come to an unhappy fate,

Where nothing will ever be worth the wait.

The last line made us both shiver. I felt Annabeth grab onto my hand in fear, but then quickly released it, with much embarrassment, when she realised what she was doing.

"So…I guess we better find out the deadline first." I said, trying to break the tension.

"Yeah…" Annabeth was breathing heavily, beads of perspiration dripping down her neck. "Are you _that_ scared of some silly prophecy?" I smirked, but then realised that _no_ prophecies were silly. She stared at me as if I were some kind of slug that had wriggled onto her homework sheet and invaded on her privacy; not that she did anything all day than read architecture books and study stuff.

"Let's go. We have to ask Chiron about the deadline." She said firmly.

"Are you _mad_?" I asked. "We can't tell Chiron! He'll know that we were planning to go on the quest to find the cure!" I muttered impatiently.

"But he _has _to know!" Annabeth protested.

"No, he doesn't. We'll just find out some…other way." I said calmly, in contrast to Annabeth's hysterical squeaks.

"What other way?" Annabeth demanded. Suddenly, we heard a loud _boom! _ like a door slamming. Then, there were two loud voices arguing. "No! The boy must not know." I heard a rough voice roar.

"I understand, Lord Zeus, but one of our satyrs are dying, and there is a tear in the wall of mist!" I heard a familiar voice explain urgently. Wait. What was Zeus doing here?

"A tear?" Zeus said, his voice dangerously soft.

"Why is the wall of mist torn, Chiron?" he growled.

"I do not know, my lord, but I _do_ know how to cure the satyr _and_ the tear." Chiron said desperately.

"I know! You told me that already!" Zeus snapped and said, "Now you just have to tell me how. But do _not _tell the boy!" he snarled.

"But who will go on the quest to save humanity from seeing the true ways of the Greek not-so myths?" Chiron was playing his most desperate card now.

"Hmmm. We shall consult the Oracle." I heard footsteps, as Annabeth turned toward me with wide eyes. "Hide!" it was easy for her, since she had her Yankees cap with her, but I had to hide behind a dusty box that would soon give me away, since I was too big to hide behind it. I just hoped that I looked like part of the box.

Then I heard the door bang open.

"Who shall go on the quest to save the mist?" I heard Zeus ask the Oracle almost threateningly. The mummy just smiled gruesomely at him, and did not say a word, as if she wanted him to suffer.  
>"Urghh! Never mind. Just tell me how to fix it." Zeus sighed toward Chiron.<p>

"You must find the diamond of stone, and mix it with crushed poison weed, and pour it in a circle on the floor. Then you must throw in star dewdrops and recite these words: May the mist fix again, and may time rewind and rebend. Till the tear sews itself again, may the curses move out and never be sent." Chiron replied solemnly.

"Very well. And when is the deadline, till the mist fully uncovers?" Zeus asked

"In six days." Chiron said grimly.

"Thank you, Chiron my friend." Zeus said politely, and disappeared in a flash of lightning. Chiron frowned, and sighed, with a sad look on his face.

I resisted the urge to jump out and comfort him, but I knew it would blow my cover.

"Oh dear, oh dear. Lord Zeus cannot save the mist and Grover himself! He requires a hero. A hero. But he forbids me to…" Chiron jumped, as I accidentally fell on my butt, creating a loud _thump!_

Then I felt someone bump into me. Annabeth materialized next to me, and pointed at the window. Chiron turned around, and Annabeth put her Yankees cap back on. Suddenly, a cloud of green mist appeared at the foot of the stairs.

"Kids these days." Chiron murmured, heading down the stairs, undoubtedly to go and tell the kids who threw the fart arrow off. As soon as Chiron's back was turned, we jumped out the window. The next thing I knew, I had scratches and leaves all over my face.

"What were you thinking!" Annabeth hissed, clearly annoyed.

"It was an accident!" I protested.

"You're lucky you weren't caught." She said tightly.

"It was by luck." I grinned modestly. I had a feeling I was dangerously close to getting punched in the gut again.

"No. _I_ threw the arrow! Luckily I had a spare one with me for capture the flag."

"Looks like you don't need it anymore." I grinned, when I saw she was clearly annoyed. Before she could do something that would make me regret saying anything, I blurted out, "Well, at least we know how to fix Grover and the mist, where we have to go, and when the deadline is."

Annabeth looked at me gravely, and muttered, "Now we need one more person with us. A trio is always good."

I nodded and sought out to find our secret third person.


	3. The journey

Thalia helps out

It wasn't hard finding a third person. Thalia just barged in on us, and stated clearly, "I'm coming with you."

Annabeth and I looked at each other and nodded knowingly. "When do we leave? And where are we going? And how do we fix Grover?" Thalia demanded.

Man, she can be so bossy sometimes. "We'll tell you later. We're leaving soon. Pack your bags." Annabeth suggested.

"I already have." Thalia grinned, holding up her satchel.

"Okay. I'll just put in a few more Greek architecture books and we'll be off." Annabeth said cheerfully. "Annabeth, if you put anymore books in your bag, it'll split." I scolded her. She frowned, and muttered, "Your right. I should bring thinner books." She took out all her heavy books from her bag and replaced them with a pile of not-that-much-thinner books. "There." She said proudly.

"Let's go." Thalia grunted.

_Blackjack!_ I called.

_Yo, boss! _Blackjack responded, flying down in front of my window.

_Can you bring a few extra friends?_ I asked.

_Sure. You're the boss. You're my man. You're my saviour. You're my- _ I cut him off.

_Okay, okay. I told you not to call me your boss! So are you gonna call up the others and help me or not?_ I demanded.

_Hmmm…maybe….if you stop for doughnuts on the way._

_Deal._ I said.

_And if you reward us with a ton of hay._

_I'll get back to you on that one._ I replied, impatient.

_And –_ he neighed greedily,

_Don't push it!_ I said.

_Okay, okay boss. I'll call in Guido and Porkpie. They've got nothing to do these days anyway._ Blackjack chortled.

_Thanks. _I thought.

_No problem, chief._ He said. I was then overwhelmed with gratitude.

Soon, Guido and Porkpie came flying down, grumbling to themselves, "_Wasted my time…Why am I here? Too busy to have time to spare…Blackjack will have to owe me his week of hay…Oh, it's Percy again…_"..

I waved at them, and they nodded back. So much for them having nothing to do all day.

_I hope that Cyclops guy isn't here again. My back is still aching from the last time._ Guido said weakly.

_Nah, it's okay. It's just Annabeth and Thalia. _I replied.

"Uh…Percy? I uh…I can't go on them…" Thalia cried, turning a violent shade of purple. Then I realised I had to save her from going into the air again.

_Uh, Blackjack? How about we keep close to the ground at the moment?_ I asked.

_No probs, boss._ Blackjack whinnied. Somehow, Thalia understood what was going on, and looked at me gratefully. I smiled at her, and jumped onto Blackjack's back.

_Whoah, boss. You're definitely getting heavier._ Blackjack wheezed.

I was glad that no-one could hear him.

"Let's go." I yelled, as Blackjack, Guido and Porkpie soared into the air.

"Guys! Ground level, remember?" I shouted. Thalia whimpered, as they flew back down, and started trotting. She gave a gasp of relief, and gave me a killer stare.

"What? It's not my fault that they forgot!" I said.

"Sure, whatever." She smirked. I stuck my tongue out at her and looked on in silence.

After what seemed forever, Blackjack stopped at a doughnut shop.

_Please, boss?_ He pleaded.

_Sure. How many do you want?_ I asked, taking out my satchel to get my money. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. The next thing I knew, Blackjack, Guido and Porkpie were stuffing their faces with cinnamon doughnuts, ice-cream and a big bucket of hay(supplied by me). _Man, this is the life! I haven't eaten like this since…_Porkpie had taken a deep breath, emerging from the pile of doughnuts, cinnamon all over his face, or rather, muzzle. _Since ever!_ Guido finished his sentence with much appreciation for me. Then, we continued on our journey.

"Let's send an Iris message to Chiron to let him know we're okay." Annabeth suggested. Once a teacher's pet, always a teacher's pet.

Finally, after much persuading, I decided to send an Iris message. The problem was, I had no money, and there was no rainbow. _Aww, boss. Did I wipe you out?_ Blackjack whinnied, ashamed. _Nah, it's okay, Blackjack._ I replied.

Annabeth dug around in her pocket, and found a coin.

"Yep, let's make a rainbow." She grinned. Luckily, she had brought along a water gun, to shoot off spiders, or any type of creepy-crawlies. "Okay, shoot it up to the sun." I instructed, impatient. "Yes, I know, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth snapped. She held her water gun up high, and sprayed into the air. Suddenly, a beautiful rainbow appeared. "Okay, um…Oh, rainbow goddess, please accept my offering." Annabeth tossed her coin into the rainbow, and it disappeared into the mist. "Camp-half blood please." She cleared her throat. Suddenly, I was looking into a huge strawberry field, with lots of Greek warriors battling straw dummies, Satyrs walking around, Clarisse pulverising a poor kid, and Chiron trotting around, in centaur form. "Chiron!" I shouted, as he turned around, wide eyed. "Percy!" he scolded. "Where have you been! Everyone's been looking for you! And Annabeth!" he turned to look at an ashamed Annabeth, with bright red cheeks. "We _had_ to save Grover!" I stated. "I know, my boy, but you don't know where you're going!" Chiron spluttered. Then, I confessed to him about hearing what he had said to Zeus. He was silent for a while. Almost…thoughtful.

"Very well, then. But the deadline is in five days time! Percy, think of how risky this gamble is!" Chiron explained gently. "But it's enough time! The oracle said so!" I said. Oops. Now I had given myself away. I was toast. "What? You consulted the Oracle without permission?" Chiron demanded, trotting towards us. "Uh, yeah…Oh! Bad connection. Report back to you next time!" I said cheerfully, as I broke the connection with a wave of my hand. "Perseus Jackson! Just you wait a second…" Chiron yelled, but the connection was broken. "That was close." Thalia said, sweat dripping down her forehead.

_Come on, Blackjack. Time to burn off all that fat._ I said, as I whacked my foot onto his side, to make him move. _Okay, boss. Hey wait a minute! Who are you calling fat?_ Blackjack snorted indignantly, but he started galloping off. He went so fast, that the wind speed could have blown my eyebrows off. _Not so fat now, am I boss?_ Blackjack whinnied softly, which might have been a laugh. Guido and Porkpie, however, were still wheezing far behind us, trotting slowly.

Suddenly, Blackjack came to a halt.

_Whoah, boss. I smell something. Don't move._ Blackjack whinnied softly.

When Guido and Porkpie caught up to us, they stopped abruptly too. _What is that smell?_ Porkpie asked. _Something nasty, I tell you._ Guido replied, but added hastily, _Well, it smells good, but I got a feeling it's something evil: horrible. _Thalia shivered, and Annabeth bit her lip. I took a deep sniff, as Annabeth yelled, "No, Percy!" Thalia looked at her curiously, and took a deep sniff as well. "Oh no, this is bad…" Annabeth cursed. The bushes started rustling, and we all turned around, frozen to our spots. The bushes rustled some more…

And I could smell a beautiful sweet fragrance of cinnamons, peaches, spices and blossoming fruit. I was so enchanted, that I hopped off Blackjack, despite his cries of warning, and I edged closer to the smell. Thalia did the same thing, and we started stepping forward mindlessly like zombies. Annabeth shouted, "Wait, guys! It's a trap! It's the smell of Pandora's box!" she leaped off her horse, and grabbed us by our arms. We both turned around, confused, when the bushes started rustling even more. And out stepped a disgruntled Pandora, covered in leaves and twigs, the opener of the box that unleashed all the terrors of the world.


	4. I meet the girl with the box,aka Pandora

I meet the girl with the box, aka Pandora

"Pandora!" Annabeth hissed. Pandora smiled wearily, fiddling with a lock of black hair that had fallen loose from behind her ear.

She had a startlingly beautiful heart-shaped face, and she had curious, brown eyes. She wore a golden crown, with a glorious red ruby in the middle, and she wore an intricate white _chiton_. She was also holding a box that she was trying to conceal, but with not much luck. On the box, there were beautiful designs with intricate patterns on them. It was made of jewel, and there were bits of jade that curled outwards to make a handle. There was a glorious red ruby, just like the one on her crown, sitting in the middle of the box, with a pearl clasp, just waiting to be opened.

There was also a picture carved into the jewel, of a woman with horrible green hair, and snakes and fire. A big asp, made of wood, was perched on top of the box, and had sparkling, blue, sapphire eyes. It creeped me out a little, but enticed me to come further. "Yes," it seemed to say "Come further."

I walked towards it, dumbfounded by its beauty, and resisted the urge to rip the box out of her hands and open the box to see what was inside. I, of course, already knew what was inside: hope. "Yes, Perseus Jackson. It contains hope. Hope to save all your friends. Hope to save the mist. Hope to save Grover." Pandora said in a soothing voice. "Would you care to…open it?" she flashed a brilliant smile.

The asp on her box seemed to hiss eagerly, and the pearl clasp seemed to try to flap open. "Don't you ever wonder…what hope looks like?" she crooned.

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth asked, her voice quivering from anger.

"Now, now, Annabeth dear. Calm down, honey. Just teaching Percy to resist hunger of curiosity. You wouldn't want to stop him from learning would you?" Pandora smiled. At the mention of the word, _learning_, Annabeth immediately was cast off into a dream-like state. "Yes. Percy _does_ need to learn. Learning is good." Annabeth smiled dreamily. "Mmmm. Yes…" she continued, grinning in a silly way.

That seemed to sharpen my senses and regain my focus. Annabeth would _never_ behave in that way. "Annabeth! Snap out of it!" I shouted.

Annabeth shook her head, confused and muttered, "What?"

Then she saw Pandora. "Dirty rotten…How could I have been so careless…curse her…" I heard her curse under her breath.

Pandora let out a tinkering laugh, and looked at me fondly. "Just like your father. Unpredictable. But easy to lure, when your loved ones are taken away."

Then her expression turned stony. "But _he_ played a part in cursing the mortals forever." She said sourly. "Nevertheless-…" she was cut off by Annabeth, who had grown impatient.

"Cut to the chase! Why are you here?" she growled.

"Same reason as you, dear. I got here by mistake. By chance." Pandora frowned.

"Then why were you trying to lure us into opening the box?" Annabeth asked curiously.

"Well, when I saw my chance, I took it. Of course, I cannot open it myself. Once I have opened it, I cannot open it again. And I've been yearning to open it for a thousand years." Pandora closed her eyes, adding suspense and helplessness to the atmosphere.

"Okay, then. We'll leave you to that." I said cheerfully, grabbing Annabeth and Thalia by the arms. "Oh, no hero. You cannot leave." Pandora smiled snakily.

Well there goes my plan for trying to get away.

"Do you seriously think we would believe such a ridiculous explanation? You just got here by…chance?" Annabeth ridiculed.

"Come over here, Percy. Have a smell." Pandora ignored her.

Obviously, Pandora was set here as a trap so Thalia, Annabeth and I could never find the antidote. But who had set her?

When I looked doubtful, she added breezily, "Go on."

I edged closer, despite Annabeth's screams of protest, and asked, "Why?"

She grinned and said, "Because it will make your nose super sensitive, so you can get to your planned destination faster."

"It's a trick!" Annabeth yelled, before I could take a deep whiff. She whipped out her water gun, and sprayed Pandora in the face with it. "Ahhh! You cursed daughter of Athena!" She gurgled. Pandora tripped over the bush and screamed, outraged, "Now my dress is all wet!"

There was dripping mascara all over her face, and her hair was all bunched together in funny clumps. "We should go." Annabeth pulled me by the hand and disappeared into her Yankees cap.

I kept tripping over because I couldn't see where Annabeth was, so I'd step cautiously, just to fall over Annabeth's foot.

"Come on!" her invisible voice yelled. Thalia however, was far ahead of us.

"Go, go, go!" she shouted at us, and led us into a cave near the forest next to us. Thalia quickly rolled a boulder in front of the entrance, just before Pandora could squeeze in with us. She let out an ear-piercing shriek and started cursing us, "Look what you have done to my dress! My beautiful dress! My hair! Oh, I shall get my revenge some day! Someday!"

From that moment I knew Thalia was a born leader.

I could hear the heavy breathing of Thalia, as she lay against the rock. The breathing got louder and louder, and so loud that it almost sounded like snoring. Then I realised that it wasn't Thalia.

"Uh, guys? Who's doing that?" I asked my own breathing heavy.

"Not me." I could see the faint outline of Annabeth's head turning around in the dark of the cave. "It's not me either." Thalia grunted. We all turned around. There was a figure lying on its side, moving up and down, breathing out puffs of smoke.

"BEAR!" I yelled, and at the same time, Annabeth and Thalia yelled out some other things.

"FIRE!" Thalia shrieked.

"CYCLOPS!" Annabeth screamed, squirting the thing in the eye with her watergun. Gee, smart move, Annabeth. Now you're gonna get us all killed.

The 'cyclops' roared in indignation, and turned to look at us with pure hatred.

"Wait. That's not a Cyclops." Annabeth breathed.

"That's a Lamia!" she screamed, and tried to look for an exit.

"What the heck is a Lamia?" Thalia shouted, as the 'Lamia' sat up.

"They're vampiric demons who prey on children." Annabeth swallowed.

"But we're not children!" I protested.

"It doesn't matter. As long as we're not fully formed adults, it'll get us." She bit her lip.

"So I guess there's no way out, huh?" Thalia sighed, as if trying to look bored, but her bottom lip quivered, which gave her game away.

"There, there." Annabeth patted her on the shoulder, and was trying to hand Thalia a hanky, much to Thalia's refusal, which I thought was pretty silly, considering the situation we were in. I mean seriously? Comforting someone when a child-eating demon is about to attack us? Do they want to get us killed?

"Guys! We gotta get out of here!" I yelled, as the Lamia grinned.

Thalia finally came to her senses, and said, "You're right, Seaweed Brain." She sniffed, and even laughed a little.

She took out her shield, Aegis, and grinned back evilly at the Lamia.

As soon as the Lamia saw it, it winced, and shrunk back. It growled, and became silent. "Is she dead?" Annabeth asked.

"You can't die of fright." I swallowed.

The Lamia stood up again, and looked at me innocently. She had a serpent's tail below her waist, and a cruel smile played on her lips. She had a slim figure, which made me question myself mentally, why I had thought it was a bear, and why Annabeth had thought it was a Cyclops.

The Lamia had a distorted face, but it was beautiful at the same time.

She stretched out her graceful hand, and was about to touch me, when Thalia knocked her on the head with Aegis, and she passed out.

"Don't let her fool you. She can shape-shift." Annabeth warned.

We all tried to think of ways to get out of the cave, but the boulder was stuck fast.

"Urgh!" Thalia ran toward the boulder, and rammed her shoulder into it.

"Oh gods, that hurt." She winced in pain, grabbing her arm.

Suddenly, the Lamia sat up again, looking dazed. It's amazing how fast she can heal. Thalia was going to bang her on the head with Aegis again, when she cried out, "Please don't hurt me!" in a soft, pitiful voice. She looked at me with such big sad eyes, that I immediately felt sorry for her. "We come in peace." I reassured her. She sniffed, edged closer to me, and stroked my cheek. Annabeth turned bright red, and looked down-right murderous.

The Lamia's hand felt as soft as silk, and she came closer to me. I looked at Thalia and Annabeth.

Annabeth looked concerned, and Thalia looked doubtful.

"Don't worry. I know that." She smiled, then she lunged at my throat.


End file.
